Next weekend, my parents are coming down to Austin, and I would like to take a day trip with them into the Hill Country. My initial thought was to drive out to Llano for lunch at Cooper's, but my mom is allergic to mesquite so we can't eat there.

Any other good picks around the Highland Lakes or along the 281 corridor between Burnet and Blanco?

I hope this doesn't upset too many people but I thought it would be worth a mention. For my 40th birthday, my wife and I travelled all over Texas for a week hitting all of the biggest barbecue joints. Cooper's, Ruby's, Fuschak's, Luling City Market, just to name a few. They were awesome, bar none. But the best meal cooked over a live fire that I had the whole trip came from Hudson's On The Bend right in your home town of Austin. Spectacular food.